The Last of The Lombaxes
by Misue
Summary: Amber is a young female Lombax with a troubled past due to being an Azimuth. If you didn't know, Alister Azimuth was responsible for the fall of the Lombaxes. On a mission to find her sister, Angela Cross, she gets a chance to meet her Father. but will she manage to change the past?
1. Chapter 1- the escape artist

Chapter 1 - the escape artist

—

Hi, you may have noticed that I are did this chapter so it feels less mushy and rushed .If you are new here, hi! Don't be disappointed if the next chapter is worst because I am planning to re-do it. That is also one of the main reasons why I haven't been updating very often. As per usual : thank you to : couscouskasserole , littleluckylombax , Piggon , Thelilyofthevalley and Rachel for their support . Check them out ! Btw this chapter was updated on the 1st of February 2019

 **If the text shows up in bold (like this ) it is Lombax being spoken -keep in mind that Amber can't speak non-lombax without an auto-translator**.

 ** _If the text is underlined and in bold and in italics it is Crenustean Lombax being spoken - this is for the future chapters._**

I _f the text shows up in italics and is underlined it's someone's thoughts and they're important to the story ._

I've made it past the orbital barrier. Once I left there was no going back. This was it. Months of preparation had led me here, and it was worth it, but my story doesn't start here. It began much earlier in my life. The great war, as you may know it, resulted in a downfall of the Lombaxes and the Cragmites. There's more to this ; the Lombaxes fled to a different dimension, all but one that is. That one Lombax left behind is my Father. Alister Azimuth, more specifically the Four-Bolt Magistrate of the Lombax Praetorian guard, an elder councilman for the Center for Advanced Lombax research, the architect of the Court of Azimuth was left behind. Isn't it crazy how someone's life can change in just one day? Just one mistake is all it takes to go down in history. He just made the wrong choice, which made him responsible for the downfall, or as I call it the "escape" of the Lombaxes. When I say it like that, doesn't it sound ridiculous? It is to me. All my life I was the downcast of society. And it's not even for something I did. In fact, my whole family is a downcast of society. And they say Lombaxes are supposed to be the most intelligent creatures in the universe...

But the past should be left as the past. I am leaving Utopia, the Lombax dimension. The lombaxes here were the survivors, I am lucky to be one of them. You see, when the war broke out I was just an infant , I never met my father. I've only ever seen photos. Despite what every Lombax in Utopia may say or think, I still want to meet him, or at least see the outside world. My Sister, Angela, went missing some years ago. The Authorities claim she's dead. I just want to see if she found a way out, or if it worked. A couple of months ago I was snooping through her room, and I found blueprints for a chip that allows dimensional travel. I was ecstatic. But this might not work. For months, I was studying those blueprints. Only to now obtain this chip.

My hands are on the steering wheel . My fingers are burning with excitement as I type in the dimensional travel sequence.

Nothing. 

Disappointed, I pause only to hear "initiating dimensional travel sequence " and see a portal open before my eyes. I slowly head towards it suddenly gaining speed out of my control, pinning me to my seat .

I open my eyes to see... Space. But a different kind of space, more intricate, with colours like purple, pink and blue compared to the one home. There its just plain black .

"You are currently in the Cerulean sector of Polaris galaxy " I hear my ship's feminine, robotic voice again.

I say, "Can you give me a hologram of the Cerulean sector? " only to see one appear in front of me in nanoseconds.

"to your left you should see fastoon " I hear my ship again.

After a few moments of thinking, I decided it would be best to see fastoon as it is closer, putting Serenity into autopilot mode .


	2. Chapter 2, the meeting

Chapter 2 - the meeting

Authors note : This is finally updated ! Took me long enough ... but

To the people reading this and are new to R&C I wanted to mention that bolts are the currency in Ratchet and Clank . Nanophytes are a species of vultures that occupy Fastoon however they can't fly and in Ratchet and Clank they're opponents . Utopia is a name I gave to the Lombax dimension as nobody knows the real name . Crenustea is a made up name for a made up planet because I thought it would be fun

 **If the text shows up like this it is non-Lombax being spoken - Lombax is a language by the way .**

 **If the text shows up like this it is Crenustean Lombax being spoken - this is for the future chapters because I thought it would add some diversity to the Lombaxes**.

 _If the text is in italics and is underlined it's someone's thoughts_

Please read this top explaining part every time there's a new chapter as I'll add different things in to explain the story . Yes I will be re-typing it every time .Also shout-out to lily of The Valley for following this story and my BFF , Alice for reading and supporting.

—-—

Upon landing I couldn't help but notice how beautiful this planet was - Arid , with little vegatation (except the weeds and vines , this was a deserted planet so obviously it would be unkept )the sky was a stunning shade of blue and there was a slight breeze which made the palm trees sway in the wind . It was sunny , which made my white fur glisten in the sunlight .

" **You are currently at the Sienna point bay , if you turn around you will see the sea.** " said Serenity ,startling me .

I just added the communication feature to my armour and forgot about it . WOW .

As I turned around I noticed the crazy amount of Nanophytes and readied my wrench . With a single shot fired they were down - electrocuted . After a few seconds their corpses disintegrated into a bunch of bolts . My favourite part .

As I looked around the beach I could notice abandoned ruins of beach houses , hotels and ice-cream stores ,some of the lombax on the fragments of signs was readable . Back then ‚looks like it , 'baxes had to write signs themselves instead of getting printed ones .

I saw something glint ,in a ruin of a house about a few metres away from where I was standing - it looked like the cover of a book . I deceided to walk towards it .

I was correct , it was a book however there was a symbol ,made of rusty-looking copper , which seemed rather familiar and everything on the cover was written in Crenustean-Lombax - which I can not read or speak .

My parents were both Crenustean , but scince my father was "responsible " for the fall of the Lombaxes the language became forbidden , the only thing i know in Crenustean is my name _Naomi_ .

As i opened the book i realised it was a photo album . There it was . The name **.** _My name_ **,** along with a couple baby photos of two Lombaxes , twins, both of them have white fur and red Markings . Another photo is of a

Gold-furred 5-year-old looking girl and the same two infants .

" **Could my parents have lived here ?** " I thought out loud

" **Might've been. The scan of your retina matches the kit's on that photo** "

It was then I saw 2 ships , _lombax ships_ **,** landing not far away from me , it was also then i completley ignored Serenity . I hopped into Serenity , flew her and landed closer to the ships . But why did I take that album ?

Hopping out of the ship i noticed the pilots were lombaxes . The younger turned around and immediatley pinned me down .

"Who are you and what do you want ?!" He called out , Seemed like gibberish at the time - i can only speak lombax .

 **„** **Ow! Stop ! Get off !"** I cried , trying to free myself .

I Heard the elder say something „ you can stop now ratchet , she can speak Lombax which makes her a true lombax"

Which made the younger stop pinning me down .I readied my wrench as Soon as i was free to stand up, in case they wanted to play some tricks .

 **"** **I see you're a Lombax . Where have you come from ? "** asked the Elder .

 **"** **The Lombax dimension , Utopia"** i replied, uneasy.

 **"** **How old are you and Do you have a name ?"** He asked again .

" **Currently I am 22 and i'm Amber, Amber Cadenza Azimuth"** I replied , which left him in amazement (and possibly tears) .

"What are you saying ? Who is she ?"said the younger , which I completley didn't understand so I just stood there , confused .

"This could possibly be my daughter " said the elder , he seemed ecstatic at that.


	3. Chapter 3, Catching up

Chapter 3 - catching up

Authors note :

Hiya , Yass I changed the name to something that fits , I would like to know who's reading my fanfics so please , if you can , follow this story and you will get mentioned in the Author's note .I would like to thank : Thelilyofthevalley , piggon (MY BFF ) and Rachel (MY BFF ) for their support. Also for the friends that don't play Ratchet and Clank , Orvus is Clank's builder/dad , he is pretty much the leader of the Zoni (if I understood a crack in time ) . The zoni are powerful ,yet so cute , little alien-creatures .ya need a good ol' google search to see it .

 **If the text shows up in bold (like this ) it is Lombax being spoken -keep in mind that Amber can't speak non-lombax**

 **If the text is underlined and in bold it is Crenustean Lombax being spoken - this is for the future chapters**

 _If the text shows up in italics and is underlined it's someone's thoughts and they're important to the story_

Please read this top explaining part every time there's a new chapter as I'll add different things in to explain the story . Yes I will be re-typing it every time .

—

"FOR THE LOVE OF ORVUS ,WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS MAY BE YOUR DAUGHTER ?! " called out the younger .

Why are they doing this ? I'm pretty sure they know I don't know any non-lombax .

"Her name and age match, she looks familiar, even her scent is familiar ." Reassured the elder .

I stood there , awkwardly smiling .

"So ? How do you know it's not a holo-disguise ?" Questioned the younger

"My scanners say it's not ." interrupted a small robot, hopping off the younger's back .

Where am I ? What day is it ? Have they forgotten about me? This was getting really awkward .

 **"** **exscuse me , but I don't understand a word you're saying ."** I said , timidly .

" **Oh , sorry about that ,my friend here"** he looked at the younger , with a rather disappointed expression " **can't speak Lombax, but nice to meet you Amber . I'm Alister, Alister Azimuth "** he said with a grin.

—

Ratchet's POV :

Who is she ? How did she get here ? _Could she know my family ?_

All these questions were circling in my head , like vultures yet still I had no answers .

she was Alister's daughter I could tell you that, mainly because of the strong family resemblance- she has amber eyes , snow-white fur, Crimson-red stripes and brown hair that reached to her elbows, braided and swept over her shoulder with a side-swept fringe . She looked to be in her early 20's , like me .Sadly, she can't speak any non-Lombax languages . She could perfectly talk to Alister as well .

It was then I noticed Alister seemed somewhat sad ,as She showed him the details of her ship so he could send her co ordinates .

I couldn't make out a single word of Lombax , so I stood there silently nodding along to their conversation.

—

Amber's POV :

Is this my Father ?… i can't think about anything else . As much as I wanted to call out "daddy" and run into his arms I didn't . Instead i just stood there , stunned as I held back the tears .

" **Dad**? " I said in a rather tearful voice , looking really surprised .

"I **t's been so long ... the last time I saw you , you were tiny , about 6 months old** " he said in an equally tearful voice , hugging me quite tightly as I managed to hug back .

He stood back and asked " **How's mum , And your siblings ?** "

 **"** **They're fine. Well exept for Angela , she went missing a few months ago. That's also why i'm here , the Authorities tried . They said that it was like she vanished in thin air ."** I replied.

The look on his face saddened as he said " **I'll help you find her** , **do you have a ship ?** "

" **yea** " I replied as I took out my communicator, showing him my ship details .

" **I'll send you the co ordinates if you're ok to follow** "

" **Ok** "I said as we started to walk back to our ships .

I deceided to smile at the younger as he seemed pretty awkward in this situation.

The journey to my ship wasn't long ,only about a couple of metres .

I hopped back into my ship and picked up the album , flicked through a couple of pages .

There it was , a picture of my dad holding one of the twins which appeared to be me .That made me smile .

—

-Flash back -

" **Momma ?"**

 **"** **Yes , Amber ?"**

 **"** **Where's daddy ?"**

 **"** **Sweetheart , we've talked about this already, I don't know ."**

 **"** **What do you know about him ?"**

 **"** **He'd love to be here with us , I can also tell you that he misses you ."**

 **"** **Why isn't he here ? "**

 **"** **Sometimes the Universe has a cruel sense of humour , you just need to know how to understand and deal with it ."**

\- end of flashback -

—

Apologies... this was super cheesy ...

Also It was so hard for me not to make jokes ... like where Alister said it's been so long I wanted to say it's been 84 years ... HOLD BACK THE MEMES SUE !. Also ... cover art , COMING SOON .


	4. Chapter 4, reuniting

Chapter 4- reuniting .

Authors note : hiya , I finally finished the Cover art for this fic , thank you to : couscouskasserole , littleluckylombax , Piggon , Thelilyofthevalley and Rachel for their support . Check them out ! This story takes part kinda at the time of R&C:Acit , like at the point where Alister is alive and knows where the great clock is . Also my friend is shipping Amber and ratchet honestly , it's kinda starting to rub off on me . Also to anyone from my school reading this , I would like to thank you for your friendship, I've never gotten so close to anyone in my life .

 **If the text shows up in bold (like this ) it is Lombax being spoken -keep in mind that Amber can't speak non-lombax .**

 ** _If the text is underlined and in bold and in italics it is Crenustean Lombax being spoken - this is for the future chapters ._**

 _If the text shows up in italics and is underlined it's someone's thoughts and they're important to the story ._

Please read this top explaining part every time there's a new chapter as I'll add different things in to explain the story . Yes I will be re-typing it every time .

—

I arrived at a massive structure built in the exact center of this universe .

" **We have arrived on Torren IV . Incoming call from Alister ?** "I suddenly heard the voice of Serenity .

" **Accept ." I said .**

 **"** **Are You there yet ? " he asked .**

 **"** **Finding a spot to land ."** I replied in a casual but a sad tone .

 **"** **Look, I'm really sorry about not being there for you when you were growing up . I guess the war messed things up . If I knew this would happen I wouldn't have chosen to trust Tachyon."** he stopped as I interrupted .

" **You don't need to apologise . I was fine and I am fine it's really no big deal , I understand it wasn't your choice to stay behind .** "I interrupted as I found a spot to land my ship , wasn't far from his really - only a couple metres upon which I later hopped out of my ship .

It was then I realised I didn't know where I was.

" **You sent me some other co-ordinates . Where are they to ?** "I asked .

" **The great clock , it's a way Kaden found to change the ... "** he stopped quite suddenly **.**

—

Alister POV :

" **The great clock , it's a way Kaden found to change the ... "**

Kaden ...

-Flashback ( aged 20 in this flashback )-

I soon landed at Tachyon's base . It wasn't really a base , nothing like the praetorean guard obviously -that was the grandest place I've seen in my whole life ,. Tachyons base was nothing compared to that , honestly it was sone sort of an armed cave , but at the moment it seemed somewhat deserted. It was then I saw it .

Kaden's ship , Aphelion , was crashed next to the opening of the cave - it seemed like she was through a rough battle as she was missing a wing and a couple of stabilisers her varnish was also chipping off . If Kaden was alive he wouldn't let this happen -it was also then I realised it.

 _If Kaden was alive ..._

I rushed into the cave with nothing stopping me . There it was , the decaying corpse of what was once Kaden . I couldn't think about anything else but his son , both of his parents were now dead which meant that he had close to 0 chances of being raised by Lombaxes . I rushed back to the ship , this time smashing a window and looking inside .

His communicator was still there , I turned it on . On the screen appeared a picture I once took with him , I was holding my battle wrench and he was holding his work wrench , it was taken just a few months ago when things weren't so messed up .then I heard it .

 **"** **So this great clock , you think it can turn back time ?"** I heard the recorded voice of my now deceased friend.

" **I've never heard of it but the inscriptions say so .** "I heard another voice

Reply.

That gave me hope , that stopped me from ending it all right there and then .

-end of flashback -

—

Amber's POV:

" **The elders once said: time is a living,breathing thing . Powerful,beautiful and oftentimes cruel .It can humble the strongest army , Shape mountains to its will and change enire oceans to dust ."** he said immediately after the short pause , he seemed a bit sad .

Startled by what he'd said I asked " **what do you mean by that ? And who's Kaden ? "**

 **"** **Kaden was an old friend of mine, he'd like you , now that I think of him . By that time speech I meant that there is a way to change the past "** he awnswered **.**

" **Actually, time itself isn't free from jeopardy , there are those who seek to control it ,corrupt it , change it to suit their dark will.** "I added .

" **You're a** **Smart girl , Amber, "** he grinned ", **but that isn't always the case . Let's head inside ."**

I started walking and thinking to myself : Ok , this is his hut . Are we really going to change the past ? There's a risk of messing things up and never coming back . It would just ent there and then for everyone .Is it really worth it ?

 **"** **Aren't we going to wait for your friend?"** I asked , breaking the scilence .

" **He said he was on a mission to save the fiongoids so I doubt he'll be joining us** ."he replied.

His hut wasn't big nor decorated, just standard . There was a crazy amount of notes on the walls , many of them about the great clock .

" **Do you know anything about the great clock ?** "he asked offering me a pocket watch , with the Azimuth family symbol carved into the top , I took it .

" **No , not really but I don't think anyone had the right to mess with time . It's something powerful, yet so easy to corrupt . "** I replied , opening the pocket watch .

" **About the first part , you may be correct , but it's not that easy to corrupt time . Also, I've been looking at blue prints of the great clock . It has a chamber ,specifically the "Orvus chamber", which is used to go back in time . If we weren't meant to change the time why would it be there ?"**

 ****Upon opening the pocket watch , there was a picture of my dad and another male Lombax - he looked really similar to his friend , who's name I didn't catch , the same golden fur, same jaw shape , even same eye-colour and build . However I soon realised that it couldn't be him , my dad was about in his 20s in this photo , which made it impossible to be his friend as he was in his 20s now . His dad presumably ? Yep . Had to be it .

" **I don't know,** **does that mean it's actually possible ? "** i said , mesmerised by the pocket watch .

—

Alister's POV :

This is my daughter for sure . She sat in a chair just opposite me , she's a fully grown adult yet at this moment , she seemed like a little girl again . She seems so interested in my pocket watch , it's hard to believe that she is still listening and paying attention. She's examining it so carefully , paying great attention to detail.

" **Yes , actually it is** " I replied . Which stopped her transfixion to the pocket watch .That made me smile .

" **Who is that on the picture? "** she asked handing the pocket watch back to me.

" **That's Kaden , and me , remember what I said earlier ?** " I asked , with her now paying full attention.

" **Mum used to say you were great friends with him , before the tachyon incident you were inseparable.** "she said , it amazed me at how much Lorna had tolled her .

" **What other things did she tell you ? "** I asked , grinning.

" **That Kaden was the risky one and you were more cautious but somehow you became a general and he became the keeper of the dimensionator and an inventor "** she said giggling **.**

 **"**

" **** **D'you have your hover boots on you by any chance** " I asked , randomly

" **** **I never leave without them** " she replied," I need them, usually **to make a quick escape or to do a force attack "**

" **Sounds like you know all the things you can do with hover boots,** " I said dimly, as we both noticed Ratchet's ship land just outside the hut.

" **I think you should check on him,"** she commanded in a polite manner.

—

Ratchet's POV :

I went back in time ...

 _I went back in time..._

I need to tell Alister .

"So What was your mission about?" He asked .

"I went back in time " I replied.

"How did you do it ? And how far did you even go ?" He started to bombard me with questions.

"Not far enough , but I know how I did it : on some planets time isn't stabilised , which means there can be time portals which I can then go through and come back ."I replied .

What ere is Amber? I brought something for her ...

"Thought you could do better. After all I trained you ." Teased Alister .

"Where's Amber ?" I asked

"You don't want to be "that boy " do you ?" He replied , teasing me in a somewhat more annoying way . Was it because she was involved?

"Yeah , that's funny , sure . I got something for her .." I replied in a bit of a sassy manner.

"What is it ? I'm her dad . I need to know . " he said now more seriously .

"It's an auto-translator that translates Lombax . It would be nicer if we could understand each other ," I explained as clank passed it to me ,"now seriously, where

is she ? "

"She's inside the hut," he said in a more serious tone.

I decided to head Into the hut. Slow pace , just walking. I opened the door, she was standing in front of me, reading Alister's notes, or at least trying to make sense of them. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and greeted, "Hey."

"Hey" she said back to me in a slight accent . Was she copying what I was saying or did it mean the same in lombax ? I passed her the auto-translator, tanking my hand off her shoulder, she took it - it even seemed like she knew what it was and how to put it on.

—

Amber's POV:

Did he really get me an auto-translator? That's so sweet of him, too bad I didn't catch his name. It's so embarrassing to ask, especially because I received something from him. I put it on as soon as I got it. At that time I was wondering if he knew that hey means hey in Lombax?

"Can you understand me?" I questioned.

"Loud and clear," he answered, grinning. I smiled back.

I always wanted to know how these things work; they make you speak a certain language without having to learn it, they also help you understand it which by itself, is amazing.

—

Woo, that was long. From now on, the chapters will be like this. It's what happens when I ease my way into a fanfiction, get my brain juices flowing. Like I mentioned in my profile, I find it odd how you just pick a moment in time and edit your own parts in. Also, my grammar is improving like crazy when this happens.


	5. Chapter 5, getting to know each other

Chapter 5 - getting to know each other

Authors note:

My chapters are flowing like crazy, this doesn't happen unless I ease my way into a fanfic, I'm not making things long on purpose (oml I thought of a meme ) for example :

writing to your friends: peas

Writing an essay: small, biologically grown, round, green, squishy balls that don't be tasting very delicious.

See what I mean? Anyway, my brain juices wouldn't flow without: couscouskasserole, littleluckylombax, Piggon, Thelilyofthevalley and Rachel for their support. Check them out!

Oh, and you know the weird lines that randomly appear on the side of the screen? Yeah, I changed them to the spamming of stars, you're welcome. They mean that it's a point of view change or flashback.

 **If the text shows up in bold (like this ) it is Lombax being spoken -keep in mind that Amber can't speak non-lombax without an auto-translator**.

 ** _If the text is underlined and in bold and in italics it is Crenustean Lombax being spoken - this is for the future chapters._**

I _f the text shows up in italics and is underlined it's someone's thoughts and they're important to the story ._

Amber's POV:

Cool, we can all understand each other now. I have to ask for his name...

"Hey, I didn't catch your name before, can you repeat it? " I asked nervously.

"Sure thing, my name's Ratchet," he responded.

"Who named you, if it's okay for you to answer, " I questioned, trying to be polite.

"Oh, before I even say it, just to make it clear I wasn't raised by Lombaxes, I was adopted by a fongoid and raised on Veldin, that fongoid gave me this name " he cleared up.

"That explains a lot, like how you can't speak lombax and you don't have a lombax name," I rambled, noticing the hurt look on his face I decided to apologize ", I'm really sorry if that offended you. I didn't mean to start rambling like that ."

"no, no it's fine. And you weren't rambling, just thinking out loud. Even I do that sometimes, " he cut me off before I could embarrass myself more.

I started to blush, Really Amber? I just met the guy. But like usual, I can't make friends.

"Should we go? " I inquired.

"Go where? " he answered with a question

" I wanted to visit Crenustea, but dad said I can't go alone, " I explained.

" You want to go alone with me? " he asked nervously blushing.

"if that's okay, " was my attempt to make this less awkward.

"When should we go ? " he wanted to know.

"I was going to go a few minutes ago, so is now ok ? " I cleared up .

"Sure," he seemed to like the idea of going to a deserted planet with me alone.

Upon leaving, he held the doors for me, which I found odd. Over the years I got used to being mistreated by everyone who wasn't part of my family, so it didn't feel right for a stranger to be so polite.

"Alister said he'd been leaving soon, " he mentioned, breaking the silence.

"where's he going?" I assumed that he knew.

"I don't really know, I think he went to gather materials," he added ", should we take both of our ships or go together in one?" he asked ", I wouldn't mind you in my ship "

After hearing that I had a puzzled look on my face, we had also reached the ships and stopped walking. Noticing the look on my face, he decided to clear this up "sorry, didn't mean to make it sound like that ."

"actually, " I tried saving the situation "I wanted to go in your ship. " he looked at me, smiled, and. Said "okay."

Ratchet's POV :

Surprisingly, Amber was nothing like Alister; she was friendly and hadn't tried to attack me, but she seemed to be surprised by the way I was acting towards her. In the lombax culture, was it wrong to open doors for others? I want to know that badly.

We were now in my ship, with me driving and her in the passenger seat. I left Clank at the hut, I saw no point in bringing him along with us.

We put our seatbelts on and I started the ship.

"So... How long are you going to stay here for?" I inquired, just to break the silence

"actually," she started ", I can't return. It's a crime to even attempt to leave the Lombax dimension. It's a death penalty if you manage and the authorities catch you or you return."

Was it really that hard to escape? I kind of have respect for her. I mean, if it's something so illegal it would need some kind of preparation. And keeping preparation a secret is hard, let me tell you that.

"Wow, " I complimented ", that's impressive."

I decided that it would be easier to warp from Torren IV to Crenustea, since they're so far away and warping speeds up travel by over five times the speed .

"Initiating warp sequence from planet Torren IV to Crenustea ; Polaris galaxy , Cerulean sector "we both heard Aphelion announce .

"Did you build this ship ? " she asked.

"No , I found it abandoned on Fastoon, it was in a bad condition and it was scrapped with a lot of burn marks , yet there was no pilot , or corpse , inside . I was the one who repaired it, though ." I cleared up .

"Wow , I had to build my own ship - that wasn't the hardest part though . I had to find a way to travel through dimensions, then make that a feature in my ship, " she said with a sad look in her eyes, she had deep Amber eyes - ones have that glint, usually, but now it was gone- and instead of it was a look of innocence and sorrow.

"What's troubling you? " I wanted to know, now looking straight into her eyes.

"why are you so nice to me? " she asked, tears in eyes.

" because you're different. You're the only lombax that I know and didn't attack me. So why wouldn't I be?" I explained .

"I'm an Azimuth," she began ", my father is responsible for the fall of the Lombaxes."

"Why does that affect you? " I started ", at that time you were a newborn - unaware of the things happening around you. "

"I understand you now. But that won't change anyone in the Lombax dimension, " she was crying at this point ", every time I tried to make friends, no one trusted me because of his mistake. Even the teachers seemed more aware when I was in the room, like I was some sort of hooligan."

"Amber, I didn't realise. I'm really sorry ." I said sorrowfully, putting my arm around her - this seemed to surprise her, like no one had ever done this. We sat there, in the silence of space, her crying with my arm around her.

Amber's POV :

What have I just done?

I don't pour my heart out to anyone, especially not strangers, not like this. And yet here I was, crying in the arms of a stranger, alone in space. This would be a perfect scenario for one of those romantic, retro, holo-films. But this was the furthest from romantic.

"Welcome to the Polaris galaxy, Cerulean sector, Planet Crenustea, " I heard ratchets ship say ", initiating landing sequence ." Which made him jolt his arm back and start blushing.

"Sorry about that, " he said timidly. I stayed silent , watching him type something into the main panel .

Unlike Serenity, Aphelion landed smoothly . I built Serenity on my own - she's like my daughter.

Also, I couldn't help but notice how different the colour schemes of our ships varied, his was a navy and light blue power lines. Mine was white with Orange power lines - a much more elegant choice, I know.

Upon landing, and hopping out , the first thing I noticed was the white sand . I walked slowly towards the sea and suddenly stopped, admiring the beauty of my home planet. The air was sweet and tropical. The waves crashed down on the beach, creating a relaxing atmosphere. Nearby was a tropical forest, which you could hear birds chirping from. All of this seemed familiar yet so foreign . I was born here so, obviously, it would feel familiar - but we had to move back to Fastoon as my dad worked for their government - so my brother and I couldn't enjoy this place .

"D'you want to explore? " he requested .

"yes, it's my home planet! " I exclaimed.

We walked towards some ruins in the once called city. It was horrifying. There was rubble everywhere, bloodstained mud every other step. The bricks that were lying around were varying colours in white and a reddish-brown. But I can't be sure that the reddish-brown ones were originally that colour. I took notice of the amount of ash lying everywhere, like someone had tried to burn this place down. S'posse they, Tachyon, did. It was then I noticed his close we got to the jungle-like area -Crenusta is a weird place, instead of green-leafed trees you get red ones, and in the autumn they go orange. On Utopia, they said the vegetation was red because of how many bad things the 'baxes on Crenustea had done. Now I can tell you that isn't true. For one its obvious enough, for two, because of the heat, the plants can't produce enough chlorophyll, it would just burn up!

"Are you done yet? " he asked impatiently, mainly because we've been wandering around for a while now .

" yes, if you had to look for a 26-year-old female lombax with a science degree where would you look?" I inquired, in an oddly specific way .

"The only lombax I know that matches that description went missing 2 months ago " he explained .

"Do you know her name ?" I asked, eagerly.

"Angela Cross, I think ,"he replied.

Seems like she didn't want to raise suspicions, so she settled with mum's last name. I prefer to stick with Azimuth, just to show that I can be proud of that title. Seems like I came here for nothing. If she returned, she's good as dead. Now what? I remember my dad saying something about altering the past... He can't do it himself. If he manages to go back in time 'baxes will recognize him. And that's a risk.

"Are you going to stay lost in thought like that or are we going to return?" he requested.

" fine let's go back, " I said, starting to saunter, dragging my feet along the ground. That seemed to have annoyed him so, without a warning, he took my hand and started running towards the ship. I notice that straight away and winced "hey !" upon which I got to a quicker pace than him so that I was the one dragging him. When I did this he let go of my hand, making me fall flat on my face, into the white sand, making both of us laugh. He offered me a hand, to help me up. That seemed rather gentleman-like after making me fall, but being the salty little pickle that I was, I took his hand only to drag him down. Sadly, he noticed this and quickly pulled me up just to whirl me around and say " I'm always one step ahead of you " to leave me and jump in afterwards. What effect was this meant to have? Whatever it was, I was flattered .i I hopped into the ship seconds later .

That was one tough cookie. My friend is shipping Amber and Ratchet and I am kind of giving in. Pm me if you think this should happen, I am so unsure about this.

Anyways,

Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6, The Connection

Chapter 6 - The connection

Authors note :

Thank you so much for sticking around! The last chapter was released ages ago and I got a lot of private messages saying you guys ship Amber and Ratchet. As always, special thanks to my followers/ favours: TheLillyofthevalley, littleluckylombax, piggon, coucouscaserolle and Rachel. Just to clear things up I'm not a good writer, the story switches points of view as an experiment. I like that because I can make it clear on what each character is thinking. I also noticed that the stars weren't there. It messed up. I have swapped it to a bunch of underscores and am hoping it will show up. Man, in this chapter there is a lot of ratchet and clank technical language, am I playing way too much of it or is it just my obsession? This chapter was also written whilst listening to karate by BABYMETAL , or any other song from their album "metal resistance ", man that's the stuff . OML and i am really sorry to diss clank (most fanfics diss him anyway so it's not that important but I want this to feel like cannon in the slightest )also, Ratchet and Clank? More like ratchet OR Clank? Amirite? Ok... I'll go Home...

 **If the text shows up in bold (like this ) it is Lombax being spoken -keep in mind that Amber can't speak non-lombax.**

 _ **If the text is underlined and in bold and in italics it is Crenustean Lombax being spoken - this is for the future chapters.**_

* * *

If _the text shows up in italics and is underlined it's someone's thoughts and they're important to the story ._

Amber's POV :

We're on the journey back, and I'm lost in thought, however this time its way less awkward than last time - and that was for the better. I also still couldn't get my mind off time travel, what if there actually is a way to change the past ?

 _What if..._

It was at that moment I started to pay attention to what Ratchet was doing, he was typing in coordinates for the "great clock ".

Puzzled, I asked "why are we going there? "

"There's been a change of plans, Alister found a fulcrum star powerful enough to open a time portal," he explained.

Fulcrum star? Those things are used to communicate over vast distances... But not time-vast. That's ridiculous. Or ridiculously powerful? Besides, fulcrum stars require a compatible element, like an obsidian eye. By this time I'd noticed he'd typed in a warp sequence.

Nervously I asked " What are we going to do? A fulcrum star needs a compatible element. "

" I actually don't know, but keep this between you and me. Alister was dead before all this. His death was caused by an energy overload. "he explained, trailing off at this point "the quantum energy caused him to forget the last day or so of his past life."

We sat there in silence for a few moments.

"We have arrived at your destination, the great clock," announced Aphelion. He hopped out of the ship with me following.

I paused.

The beauty of this place is breathtaking! It's a vast structure built in the exact centre of the universe.

"Hey, Amber," he caught my attention", you coming? "

With a slight nod, I followed.

* * *

 **Ratchet's POV :**

We walked away from my ship, just a few metres. She seemed absorbed in this place, stopping every few steps or walking in a short pace just to admire, paying close attention to her surroundings. We're safe for now, I thought to myself for a second or two. It was then I noticed, the familiar steps in the sand had stopped. The moment I had alone with her was ruined .

She froze, wide-eyed, dead in her tracks.

Gently placing my hand on her shoulder, I asked "is e:verything ok? ".

No reply, she was stone hard and freezing Cold, growling lowly.

It looked like some sort of nest.

"cragmites..." she whispered before throwing a bomb at the nests .

"why did you do that? "I asked, quietly trying not to startle her. She seemed quite defensive so I preferred not to risk it.

"would you rather die by the hands of a cragmite or have a gourmet breakfast? " she snapped, with the eggs smashed and still sizzling.

I stood in front of her, wide-eyed and in shock as she glared at me. I felt sweat trickle down my spine at that very moment. Did I upset her ? She's really different to Talwyn, and it's not just their species .

* * *

Amber's POV

Cragmite eggs shouldn't be here . The Great War resulted in the downfall of both races , as they say here . The Lombaxes fled Tachyon , who was later killed by Ratchet . Cragmite eggs are also meant to hatch in cold, moist and dark environments which are usually caves . The outskirts of the great clock aren't the right place . Something's off . First the fulcrum star , now this . He also seems so calm about everything.

I stopped staring , dissmissingly .

"This is strange," I commented ", first the fulcrum star, now this? "

"actually," I heard a robotic voice interrupt as Ratchet turned to the side ", this could possibly be a time anomaly."

"Beg your pardon, but who are you? and why do I meet you just now if you've been with Ratchet this whole time? "

"I am clank, or otherwise known as XJ-0461. I am the former senior caretaker of the great clock and I am pleased to meet you ."

"He was installing an upgrade "Ratchet explained, to next put Clank down and ask "how ya feelin' pal ?"

"all systems operational, he he he "

Confused, I smiled at the robot for a second, "I'm Amber " .

"Sigmund , the senior caretaker of the great clock is inside. We should see him about this. " he said, returning into backpack form.

"you should take the lead, Ratchet, " I said, following him close by.

Ratchet paused, "it looks like we're close, " he said, " Race ya! ", blue flames shooting out of the souls of his hoverboots.

I quickly caught on and propelled myself forward at full speed, at first we were going head-to-head but i out sped him. I got to a ledge and hesitated as I looked down at the ground. It was a great fall. I turned to see him racing towards me, he wasn't that far behind so I reasoned :We're Lombaxes, risk makes us who we are, ridding myself of all the fear and jumping. with that, I did two front flips just to show off and activated my hoverboots just to soften the fall. He was a good 6 metres higher when I reached the ground.

Waiting for him to land , I looked around, admiring this place again. It's stunning , I've never seen anything like it before, this architecture, the golden metal that it's made of glistens as the parts spin in different directions at different speeds , Its breathtaking!

Hearing a familiar thump behind me , I announced ,"I won. "

"big deal, "he said, sarcastically.

I giggled, to see him smiling at me.

We barely know each other yet we have a connection, it's like I've known him my whole life or I've met him before. I followed him into the clock, we continued walking until we reached a room with holograms of planets, it was full of them.

"Sigmund , " i heard clank call as he hopped off Ratchet's back", are you here ?"

"yes, sir !" i saw a robot, about twice the size of Clank appear in front of me. It's outer shell was a worn down orange colour with patches of silver and blue accents that glowed in the dim light of the room .

"we would like some assistance with a task , " said clank .

"of course, sir, after all, i wouldn't be be the senior caretaker of the great clock !"

"could you open a time portal ?"

"WHAT?! SIR, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! ITS THE ONE THING WE'RE NOT MEANT TO DO! ITS AGAINST THE RULES! YOU COULD TARE APART EVERY FABRIC OF THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM! "

"actually, "I butted in ", you could use an oscilloscopic entanglement modulator to create a vacuum of negative energy theoretically creating a traversable wormhole "

Sigmund replied "that might work, however we need a fulcrum star that is more powerful than usual ."

I glanced at Ratchet to see him wide-eyed.

"what? " I asked .

He shook himself, almost as if he'd just woken up, "i'll send Alister the coordinates."

* * *

It was a good 2 hours before my Fathers ship had arrived . We spent the time planning out every detail of the plan ; stuff like what date , or how long the portal would be open for and the one that scared me the most : who would go in . We decided that the safest bet would be to send Ratchet or Me in, As we weren't around back then .But, If we didn't make the journey back, or someone else got through the portal, we would fail the mission and fade from reality. That thought scared me more than anything else before. We were also able to construct an oscilloscopic entanglement modulator with an input for a fulcrum star, that was done by taking a few pieces from an obsidian eye.

When my father passed me the fulcrum star, it was insulated. I could feel the heat radiating on to my hands, making them feel tingly. I passed it to Sigmund, as he was the only one who could withstand the radiation that the star was emitting. I heard him murmur "Steady " a couple of times as he placed it into the input device. It fitted perfectly.

Suddenly, I heard a ringing sound in my ears and felt something, like a wave of energy pass through me. I closed my eyes until the ringing stopped.

I looked up to see Sigmund cheering "We did it !"

"We did?" I asked.

"if we hadn't, there wouldn't be a ripple of quantum energy pass through the universe " he replied, rather ecstatic for a Robot.

"we still have to get there " I said, killing the atmosphere.

"you're right, " said clank ", time to say our goodbyes ."

The moment he'd said that I was tearing up. I had only reunited with my father, someone who really understood me ; he knew what being an outcast is. I don't want to go. I l glanced at him then at Sigmund.

My dad placed a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye and said "You have to stay strong, even if we might never see each other again it's worth trying. I feel bad for sending you in there, making you risk your life for something that I want, fix a problem that I created ... "

At that point I burst into tears, how could I make someone I care about feel like this? I could even see the regret in his eyes.

"I want this to end," I said " my suffering, your suffering, I've dreamed of this as a child. You don't need to feel guilt. "

"if you make it, reality as we know it will change. You should just know that I'm proud of you. " he said, shedding a tear.

We got into our ships ; Ratchet and I into one and my dad went alone. He was responsible for guarding the portal when Ratchet and I were gone. I never saw him again.

* * *

I cried to myself when I was typing up that last bit, but others may think it's utter cheesy trash. Oh well, we all have our own minds and opinions. That was a long one too... That took me almost 2 months. Anyways, some of you guys suggested a collab fanfic with piggon so here it is! Kind of... " _ **Tock Tick**_ " i thought of the idea , she executed it. I hope that you will enjoy it! It's a Ninjago one!


	7. 7

Chapter 7 - sent back in time

This was a chance I couldn't afford to lose.

Ratchet typed in a warp sequence.

I checked through my stuff one last time and-

I paused.

Everything is moving so quickly... where even is my dad? He was the one who made me feel like I wanted to ... or had to go ...

I paused again.

No wonder he failed as a leader. He'll always leave it up to someone else. It's the easy way out. That's why he trusted tachyon so easily. It was inevitable.

I felt disgusted with myself.

My grip on the seatbelt tightened.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Ratchet look at clank and shrug, uneasily. He looked like he wanted to say something but was too afraid to say it.

"Hey... Amber...?"

I looked up, letting go of the seatbelt.

"Is everything alright...?"

A fake smile plastered over my face.

"I'm Fine."

"The auto translation device is modern technology. If you take it, it might disrupt the order of events or the events themselves. This means that Ratchet cannot go." Seems like he needs to get an update. Does he seriously not know when the right moment is? Outdated toaster...

Besides, what else have I got left? If I came back to utopia they'd kill me or use me. The only other option would be to live with my father.

I don't want to know my father. Not after that. He's just a father to me at this point. It takes more than that to be a dad. I could help Ratchet out... but he's already got a side kick. I haven't got much skill in combat anyway.

Ratchet landed the ship. The windscreen fogged up making everything outside look like blur.

The latch opened and I could feel the fresh air prickle my nostrils. It smelled of moist sand and dust.

I somersaulted out of the ship and landed with the help of my hoverboots which lit the scenery up slightly when they were activated. I heard a light thump on the other side of the ship.

Was he really going to the portal with me? No one has ever done anything like that... at least not for me...

maybe I am wanted here-

No.

I have one task that only I can do. I can't fail.

I can't get my hopes up like that though my heartbeat quickened with every step.

I saw the time rift, clear as a lake and lined with light blue being a sharp contrast against the night sky. It was on top of a plateau that overlooked what was once a city. I took off the atd (automatic translation device) and gave it to Ratchet.

The the view of the landscape at dawn was quite soothing.

It was then I'd noticed walls that surrounded the city. They looked to be covered In blast marks and bullet holes. They were the only thing still standing amongst the half crumbled buildings that were covered up in vines and surrounded by clumps of dead grass.

I turned around and winked at ratchet just before I stepped in.

I felt nothing at first but then the feeling of nausea hit me. I felt energy pulsate through my body as I was thrashed about.

There was a sudden flash of light. It stopped.

I felt as if I were lying flat on my stomach in sand. Fine sand. I stood up and brushed myself off. I looked up. It was a different type of city; more of a village or a settlement really. There was smoke rising from a few places in the settlement. Fastoon is still recovering from the first war by the looks of it.

My mum used to tell me stories of my da- father when I was younger; one of which was that he was an architect at some point. He designed the blueprints for the Court of Azimuth. It felt like the place I should've been heading to. I always wanted to see my fathers work. In the end, It was just a dream that I gave up on. Funny how it takes one realisation to change your perception of someone you look up to.

I have to find a way into the city. Those walls are pretty tall. And sturdy. There's no breaking them down for sure. Not if they could withstand Tachyon's attack. That'll just bring me unwanted attention.

I sprinted down the hill making my way to the walls. I circled them until I found a way in. I heard Lombax voices not far from where I was. They were fairly quiet, it was still early. I pressed my ear against the wall trying to make out as much as possible from the muffled racket.

"Sir, you have to let me through! My son is on the other side and I have to get to him! "

"Sorry, m'am. I can't let you through without an ID."

"You don't understand how important this is! He's in Hospital, and only a Kit!"

"I'm afraid I can't do much. I'm only doing my job!"

I don't have an ID! What the hell am I supposed to do now? My father knew! Why didn't he tell me or get me ready for something like this?! I'm fixing his mistakes! Why wouldn't he want me to do that properly?!

I let out a frustrated sigh.

It's whatever. I'm fine. I guess i'll have to find a vent of some sort and get in that way.

I ran my hands along the wall, with a gentle knock every now and then hoping for a hollow sound that would indicate a hidden vent shaft. I could hear Lombaxes starting their days past the walls.

I'd finally heard an echo that followed my knocking.

"got ya!" I whispered in triumph.

Finding the edges of a panel, I tugged at it, trying to pry it open. I stumbled, letting out a low yelp as I fell down. I gently put it aside, hoping nobody would notice. Hesitantly, I crawled into the ventilation shaft. I squirmed a little from the cold.I'll probably get into trouble. In Lombax years, i'm only a teen. We live really long lives. A Lombax at the age of forty standard years is considered to be a young adult.

I'd reached a grate. Peering out, I see a well lit pedestrian roadway. It's clear at the moment. I popped the grate loose and set it aside. Then i'd somersaulted over onto a flat rooftop. I have to remain unnoticed.

I looked over the ledge, the view was even better here. It looked like what Utopia was like when I was 10.

The streets were now filling up with Lombaxes of all colours and ages. It was a great sight. One that I'll remember for a long time. Everyone here seems to be equal.

I better start moving before-

I turned to find a blaster pointed right at me.

"You're not supposed to be up here! " said a soldier, of about 50 years, with silver eyes, hard as steel.

"Sorry sir, I'm not looking for tr-"

"Hand over your ID."

Did he just cut me off?

Rude... How 'bout I mess with him?

"I take that back. I'm not exactly big on following orders. Bye!" I said, jumping over the ledge and activating my hoverboots.

The soldier barked something at me in frustration but I was already too far away to hear it.

That'll show him.

Before I knew it I had shots whizzing by me. Stun shots.

I turned a corner, hoping to loose whoever that was.

I looked back to see 4 soldiers, all on hoverboots, after me.

I turned another corner, alerting some more soldiers. Soon after, a whole squad was onto me.

I switched my communicator on, hoping for someone or something.

Static.

How is this possible? I downloaded Serenity's AI and made it a part of my nav unit before this...

"There's a grindrail overhead."

I felt as if a heavy weight was taken off my chest. Serenity. At last.

"Wouldn't that just slow me down? Hoverboots are quicker than grindboots."

"Yes. However there are more soldiers down here than there are up there."

"Wouldn't they just follow me?"

"Affirmative. But you would have an advantage in combat."

"They're only stun shots anyway. I'll pass."

I saw a crack in a wall that was big enough for me to fit in. And deep enough for me to remain unseen. I got on all fours and crawled in.

I heard male voices outside. How could I get myself cornered like this?

"Get General Azimuth!" I heard one of the younger soldiers call out.

Great for a first impression.

"Whoever you are, surrender. You're cornered."

"Oh I'm not leaving anytime soon."

"You're going to get out eventually. Why not make this easier for both of us?"

"How is that going to make anything easier for me?" By that point I was more

interested.

Err..."

And they say that Lombaxes are the most intelligent species.

The crack was very narrow, I was pressed up against the sides all the time and I couldn't get comfortable no matter how many times I shuffled about. A few minutes had passed and it sounded like a crowd formed outside. I could hear voices, all sounding quite judgemental.

"Alright, what's all this noise about?" The voice itself sounded familiar, and tired.

I got my mirror out and positioned it so that I could see what was going on outside.

I saw a tall grey-ish figure with red markings and another shorter one, this one was much shorter. It was also golden with reddish-brown markings.

Behind them was a group of soldiers that were keeping the crowd under control.

"S-sir?" This guy was short, and had blueish grey fur with white stripes. He also stuttered a lot.

"T-there is a g-girl in there of a-about 20. S-she doesn't seem to ha-have an I-ID"

"So you dragged me here, all the way from the other side of the city for this?" He sounded irritated now, more irritated than tired.

"Y-y-yes s-sir " he said timidly.

"For the love of-"

"How about I sort this out?" The smaller golden one cut in.

"Fine."

"Let's make a deal" he sounded like Ratchet.

"Uh-huh..."

"If you leave I'll give you anything you want as long as it's reasonable"

Sounds promising.

"Order the guards or whoever they are to put their weapons away and let me go without punishment and then I'll leave."

"As long as we can interrogate "

I'm gonna be fine as long as they don't use a neurotransmitter... At least the very first version of it.

"ok." I said putting the mirror back into my pocket and getting myself ready to crawl out.

I tried to stand up but bashed my head on the side of the wall so hard that bits of it crumbled and it made a hollow-sounding thud. I got back out with crumbled bits of sandstone in my hair but acted like nothing ever happened and hoped that everyone else would do the same.

I managed to get out the second time.

The crowd looked at me in disbelief.

The smaller of the two, presumably related to Ratchet, whispered something to the general.

Great... Now they're all starting at me... I think I still have time to book it down the street.

"Return to your duties at once!" Called out the general. He then turned to examine me.

"Do you realise how much trouble you're in?"

"Wait... what? I thought you'd let me go?"

"Who's gonna pay for the damage done?"

"What damage?"

He pointed to the roof I had just hoverbooted on. There were scorched roof tiles, some of them out of place and others were smashed on the ground.

"Oh..."

"I said we'd let her go if she got out without a hassle."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"Calm down, Al, she's just a kit!"

Woah... I forgot about that. We're only considered adults at the age of 30. I'm a teen at most.

"Right," the elder looked at me wearily ", where are your parents?"

Uhh... guess I'll pull the I'm an orphan card .

"I don't have parents. They died in a house fire a while back and my ID was in the house at the time. "

"Who takes care of you now?"

I shrugged trying to look as clueless as possible. The fact that I haven't had a proper meal in months, which made me super skinny, made this story sound somewhat credible.

The general looked more sympathetic now.

"Guess I'll let you off."

"Thank you, sir."

"So you're registered in one of our databases?" The golden one chipped in.

"I don't think so. If I am it's most likely outdated."

"Let's get you sorted, kit." He looked at me with a smile then glanced at the elder as if to say "You're done for the day".

"Thanks, Kaden." he said turning away and walking towards his ship.

"Right, Let's get you checked out first." he said gesturing at his ship.

Chapter 7 - sent back in time

If the text shows up in bold (like this ) it is Lombax being spoken -keep in mind that Amber can't speak non-lombax.

If the text is underlined and in bold and in italics it is Crenustean Lombax being spoken - this is for the future chapters.

If the text shows up in italics and is underlined it's someone's thoughts and they're important to the story.

This was a chance I couldn't afford to lose.

Ratchet typed in a warp sequence.

I checked through my stuff one last time and-

I paused.

Everything is moving so quickly... where even is my dad? He was the one who made me feel like I wanted to ... or had to go ...

I paused again.

No wonder he failed as a leader. He'll always leave it up to someone else. It's the easy way out. That's why he trusted tachyon so easily. It was inevitable.

I felt disgusted with myself.

My grip on the seatbelt tightened.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Ratchet look at clank and shrug, uneasily. He looked like he wanted to say something but was too afraid to say it.

"Hey... Amber...?"

I looked up, letting go of the seatbelt.

"Is everything alright...?"

A fake smile plastered over my face.

"I'm Fine."

"The auto translation device is modern technology. If you take it, it might disrupt the order of events or the events themselves. This means that Ratchet cannot go." Seems like he needs to get an update. Does he seriously not know when the right moment is? Outdated toaster...

Besides, what else have I got left? If I came back to utopia they'd kill me or use me. The only other option would be to live with my father.

I don't want to know my father. Not after that. He's just a father to me at this point. It takes more than that to be a dad. I could help Ratchet out... but he's already got a side kick. I haven't got much skill in combat anyway.

Ratchet landed the ship. The windscreen fogged up making everything outside look like blur.

The latch opened and I could feel the fresh air prickle my nostrils. It smelled of moist sand and dust.

I somersaulted out of the ship and landed with the help of my hoverboots which lit the scenery up slightly when they were activated. I heard a light thump on the other side of the ship.

Was he really going to the portal with me? No one has ever done anything like that... at least not for me...

maybe I am wanted here-

No.

I have one task that only I can do. I can't fail.

I can't get my hopes up like that though my heartbeat quickened with every step.

I saw the time rift, clear as a lake and lined with light blue being a sharp contrast against the night sky. It was on top of a plateau that overlooked what was once a city. I took off the atd (automatic translation device) and gave it to Ratchet.

The the view of the landscape at dawn was quite soothing.

It was then I'd noticed walls that surrounded the city. They looked to be covered In blast marks and bullet holes. They were the only thing still standing amongst the half crumbled buildings that were covered up in vines and surrounded by clumps of dead grass.

I turned around and winked at ratchet just before I stepped in.

I felt nothing at first but then the feeling of nausea hit me. I felt energy pulsate through my body as I was thrashed about.

There was a sudden flash of light. It stopped.

I felt as if I were lying flat on my stomach in sand. Fine sand. I stood up and brushed myself off. I looked up. It was a different type of city; more of a village or a settlement really. There was smoke rising from a few places in the settlement. Fastoon is still recovering from the first war by the looks of it.

My mum used to tell me stories of my da- father when I was younger; one of which was that he was an architect at some point. He designed the blueprints for the Court of Azimuth. It felt like the place I should've been heading to. I always wanted to see my fathers work. In the end, It was just a dream that I gave up on. Funny how it takes one realisation to change your perception of someone you look up to.

I have to find a way into the city. Those walls are pretty tall. And sturdy. There's no breaking them down for sure. Not if they could withstand Tachyon's attack. That'll just bring me unwanted attention.

I sprinted down the hill making my way to the walls. I circled them until I found a way in. I heard Lombax voices not far from where I was. They were fairly quiet, it was still early. I pressed my ear against the wall trying to make out as much as possible from the muffled racket.

"Sir, you have to let me through! My son is on the other side and I have to get to him! "

"Sorry, m'am. I can't let you through without an ID."

"You don't understand how important this is! He's in Hospital, and only a Kit!"

"I'm afraid I can't do much. I'm only doing my job!"

I don't have an ID! What the hell am I supposed to do now? My father knew! Why didn't he tell me or get me ready for something like this?! I'm fixing his mistakes! Why wouldn't he want me to do that properly?!

I let out a frustrated sigh.

It's whatever. I'm fine. I guess i'll have to find a vent of some sort and get in that way.

I ran my hands along the wall, with a gentle knock every now and then hoping for a hollow sound that would indicate a hidden vent shaft. I could hear Lombaxes starting their days past the walls.

I'd finally heard an echo that followed my knocking.

"got ya!" I whispered in triumph.

Finding the edges of a panel, I tugged at it, trying to pry it open. I stumbled, letting out a low yelp as I fell down. I gently put it aside, hoping nobody would notice. Hesitantly, I crawled into the ventilation shaft. I squirmed a little from the cold.I'll probably get into trouble. In Lombax years, i'm only a teen. We live really long lives. A Lombax at the age of forty standard years is considered to be a young adult.

I'd reached a grate. Peering out, I see a well lit pedestrian roadway. It's clear at the moment. I popped the grate loose and set it aside. Then i'd somersaulted over onto a flat rooftop. I have to remain unnoticed.

I looked over the ledge, the view was even better here. It looked like what Utopia was like when I was 10.

The streets were now filling up with Lombaxes of all colours and ages. It was a great sight. One that I'll remember for a long time. Everyone here seems to be equal.

I better start moving before-

I turned to find a blaster pointed right at me.

"You're not supposed to be up here! " said a soldier, of about 50 years, with silver eyes, hard as steel.

"Sorry sir, I'm not looking for tr-"

"Hand over your ID."

Did he just cut me off?

Rude... How 'bout I mess with him?

"I take that back. I'm not exactly big on following orders. Bye!" I said, jumping over the ledge and activating my hoverboots.

The soldier barked something at me in frustration but I was already too far away to hear it.

That'll show him.

Before I knew it I had shots whizzing by me. Stun shots.

I turned a corner, hoping to loose whoever that was.

I looked back to see 4 soldiers, all on hoverboots, after me.

I turned another corner, alerting some more soldiers. Soon after, a whole squad was onto me.

I switched my communicator on, hoping for someone or something.

Static.

How is this possible? I downloaded Serenity's AI and made it a part of my nav unit before this...

"There's a grindrail overhead."

I felt as if a heavy weight was taken off my chest. Serenity. At last.

"Wouldn't that just slow me down? Hoverboots are quicker than grindboots."

"Yes. However there are more soldiers down here than there are up there."

"Wouldn't they just follow me?"

"Affirmative. But you would have an advantage in combat."

"They're only stun shots anyway. I'll pass."

I saw a crack in a wall that was big enough for me to fit in. And deep enough for me to remain unseen. I got on all fours and crawled in.

I heard male voices outside. How could I get myself cornered like this?

"Get General Azimuth!" I heard one of the younger soldiers call out.

Great for a first impression.

"Whoever you are, surrender. You're cornered."

"Oh I'm not leaving anytime soon."

"You're going to get out eventually. Why not make this easier for both of us?"

"How is that going to make anything easier for me?" By that point I was more

interested.

Err..."

And they say that Lombaxes are the most intelligent species.

The crack was very narrow, I was pressed up against the sides all the time and I couldn't get comfortable no matter how many times I shuffled about. A few minutes had passed and it sounded like a crowd formed outside. I could hear voices, all sounding quite judgemental.

"Alright, what's all this noise about?" The voice itself sounded familiar, and tired.

I got my mirror out and positioned it so that I could see what was going on outside.

I saw a tall grey-ish figure with red markings and another shorter one, this one was much shorter. It was also golden with reddish-brown markings.

Behind them was a group of soldiers that were keeping the crowd under control.

"S-sir?" This guy was short, and had blueish grey fur with white stripes. He also stuttered a lot.

"T-there is a g-girl in there of a-about 20. S-she doesn't seem to ha-have an I-ID"

"So you dragged me here, all the way from the other side of the city for this?" He sounded irritated now, more irritated than tired.

"Y-y-yes s-sir " he said timidly.

"For the love of-"

"How about I sort this out?" The smaller golden one cut in.

"Fine."

"Let's make a deal" he sounded like Ratchet.

"Uh-huh..."

"If you leave I'll give you anything you want as long as it's reasonable"

Sounds promising.

"Order the guards or whoever they are to put their weapons away and let me go without punishment and then I'll leave."

"As long as we can interrogate "

I'm gonna be fine as long as they don't use a neurotransmitter... At least the very first version of it.

"ok." I said putting the mirror back into my pocket and getting myself ready to crawl out.

I tried to stand up but bashed my head on the side of the wall so hard that bits of it crumbled and it made a hollow-sounding thud. I got back out with crumbled bits of sandstone in my hair but acted like nothing ever happened and hoped that everyone else would do the same.

I managed to get out the second time.

The crowd looked at me in disbelief.

The smaller of the two, presumably related to Ratchet, whispered something to the general.

Great... Now they're all starting at me... I think I still have time to book it down the street.

"Return to your duties at once!" Called out the general. He then turned to examine me.

"Do you realise how much trouble you're in?"

"Wait... what? I thought you'd let me go?"

"Who's gonna pay for the damage done?"

"What damage?"

He pointed to the roof I had just hoverbooted on. There were scorched roof tiles, some of them out of place and others were smashed on the ground.

"Oh..."

"I said we'd let her go if she got out without a hassle."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"Calm down, Al, she's just a kit!"

Woah... I forgot about that. We're only considered adults at the age of 30. I'm a teen at most.

"Right," the elder looked at me wearily ", where are your parents?"

Uhh... guess I'll pull the I'm an orphan card .

"I don't have parents. They died in a house fire a while back and my ID was in the house at the time. "

"Who takes care of you now?"

I shrugged trying to look as clueless as possible. The fact that I haven't had a proper meal in months, which made me super skinny, made this story sound somewhat credible.

The general looked more sympathetic now.

"Guess I'll let you off."

"Thank you, sir."

"So you're registered in one of our databases?" The golden one chipped in.

"I don't think so. If I am it's most likely outdated."

"Let's get you sorted, kit." He looked at me with a smile then glanced at the elder as if to say "You're done for the day".

"Thanks, Kaden." he said turning away and walking towards his ship.

"Right, Let's get you checked out first." he said gesturing at his ship.


End file.
